PURPOSE This activity demonstrates that most parents' descriptions of their babies' temperaments fall into the categories described in the New York Longitudinal Study.
ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: Using the following instructions, interview the parent(s) of a child to elicit information that will describe the child's temperament as either easy, slow to warm up, or diffficult. Do not use this terminology in interviews; just ask questions.
Description of the Infant's Temperament
Instructions: Ask several parents the following questions:
1. Tell me about your baby. What is he or she like?
2. What are your baby's general personality traits?
3. What type of temperament does your baby have?
4. How~are you and your family adjusting to the baby?
5. Is your baby happy most of the time?
(1) Give background data. (2) Compare parents' responses to the questions listed above with the three temperament categories: average or easy babies, slow-to-warm-up babies, and diffficult babies. (3) Why did each parent choose the descriptor they did? (Three elements)
PURPOSE The objective of this activity is to use naturalistic observation techniques to evaluate interactions.
ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: (1) Visit a natural setting where it can be expected to observe fathers with their young children - for example, a playground or a McDonald's PlayPlace. Describe the location. Plan observations ahead of time, perhaps making a rough form to record their observations as they look for style of play, amount and quality of verbalizations, and types of activities. (2) Note any gender differences observed. (3) Does the observation support the chapter discussion? If there are discrepancies, what might they be attributed to? (Three elements)
14. A Preschool Playground
PURPOSE This activity will give experience in designing and understanding the needs of a preschool playground.
ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: Plan an outdoor environment that would support a preschooler's motor development. Use the information for instructions. Submit designs, along with justifications for the designs. Focus on specific motor skills of preschoolers and the appropriate elements in an outdoor playground to support and further develop those skills. Mail the design to the instructor or submit as an attachment.
Designing an Outdoor Environment for Preschoolers
INCLUDE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: Your preschool has just been awarded a grant of $10,000 to improve a yard that until now has been a square plot of fenced in dirt. There are twenty five children in the school, but as a rule no more than fifteen children use the yard at the same time. It is customary to allow at least one hundred square feet of outdoor space per child enrolled.
(1) Design (draw) an outdoor area for preschoolers two to five years of age. Tricycles and swings are fine, but you want to enhance other opportunities for gross motor development. (2) Make sure you can justify the design by providing links to course topics. (Two elements)
Activity Area in Yard Special Equipment
Submit designs, along with justifications for the designs. Focus on specific motor skills of preschoolers and the appropriate elements in an outdoor playground to support and further develop those skills.